Visitors Review

bandw (2012-05-22 04:25)

One of Morris' lesser efforts

This is the eighth documentary I have seen by Errol Morris. His "Gatesof Heaven" is my favorite, while this one is eighth on my list. Thestory is that of Joyce McKinney, once a Wyoming beauty queen, who (sheclaims) fell obsessively in love with a young Mormon man named KirkAnderson. She was later charged with kidnapping this man and forcinghim to have sex.I can see where this might appeal to Morris; after I had seen all hisinterviews with McKinney, a couple of news reporters with differingviews, an airline pilot, and a Salt Lake City radio host I was leftwith no clear idea of exactly what happened. Oddly, documentingmaterials from one of the newspapers disappeared and the documentationin McKinney's possession was supposedly stolen. Another person who wasclosely involved in the escapade was Keith May, who had since died.Most of the movie is taken up with Miss McKinney talking at us. Theonly thing I found to be true for sure is that she is a real spacecadet. She admits to having had acting experience and you don't knowwhether to believe a word she says. She claims to have an IQ of 167,but I saw no evidence that she was above average in intelligence (infact I would think the contrary). Some of the clips used to illustrate the dialog were pretty silly, likesome stock footage of a guy ripping a phone off the wall when one ofthe interviewees was talking about a phone cord having been pulled out.And I found the cutesy little cartoons particularly lame. Also, I wasnever sure whether I was seeing original footage or reenactments. Forexample, Kirk Anderson was described as being a very large man, but theclips we see of him show him to be of fairly normal weight.The biggest weakness I found was that neither Kirk Anderson not KiethMay was interviewed (Anderson declined and May was dead). So, we nevergot the story from the only other people closely involved. I likestories that leave some ambiguity as to what happened, but stories likethis where you don't have enough information to make an informedspeculation are not satisfying.

Avi Offer (2012-05-22 00:53)

A provocative, captivating and surprisingly funny documentary. Joyce McKinney deserves to be nominated for Best Actress of the Year.

Bill Goodykoontz (2012-05-20 10:30)

Errol Morris is a genius, a gifted documentarian who has made better movies than "Tabloid," but none so entertaining.

Christy Lemire (2012-05-19 21:49)

Morris' spirited pacing and the jaunty score from John Kusiak help maintain a tone that's part mocking, part suspenseful.

Charlie Lyne (2012-05-17 21:08)

complex, intriguing and always entertaining

Donald J. Levit (2012-05-17 07:36)

'Tabloid' never rises above -- in fact, it becomes -- the absurdity it depicts.

Tim Martain (2012-05-17 02:43)

Tabloid is a documentary that proves conclusively that the truth really is stranger than fiction.

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat (2012-05-16 09:47)

A wild and weird Errol Morris documentary about the stories we tell ourselves to cope with life's disappointments.

Derek Malcolm (2012-05-11 08:11)

Morris suggests that you can sometimes find profundity in triviality - and though Joyce condemns herself out of her own mouth, it is always possible to feel sorry for a woman whose obsession has so totally ruled her life.

Peter Canavese (2012-05-10 14:25)

Morris compellingly unfolds the story and clearly means for us to see our own untoward qualities writ large in Joyce and the circus surrounding her.

Dana Stevens (2012-05-10 08:43)

Though the events Tabloid recounts took place in the pre-digital age, the film also functions as a kind of prehistory of modern celebrity culture and tabloid journalism.

Scott Tobias (2012-05-09 20:57)

McKinney may well be a madwoman, but Morris connects so deeply to her obsessions that the film's tone never seems exploitative or mocking.

James Rocchi (2012-05-08 19:15)

William Carlos Williams wrote "The pure products of America/ Go crazy," and the funny, freaky Tabloid captures that contrast, that promise, that curse.

Mark Jenkins (2012-05-08 02:22)

Tabloid spins a heck of a yarn, while implicitly warning viewers not to be so entertained that they believe every gamy detail.

Stephen Whitty (2012-05-06 20:22)

Morris realizes he has a genuine character in McKinney, and gives her the spotlight.

Stephanie Zacharek (2012-05-06 14:20)

Compared with Morris' best and most provocative documentaries, like The Fog of War, Tabloid is just a trifle. It's a silly little thing that goes down easy and is forgotten almost instantly.

Sean Gandert (2012-04-29 03:32)

Morris' most flat-out enjoyable picture

J. Hoberman (2012-04-28 10:41)

Absurd as it sounds, Joyce's conviction is not only convincing but contagious. So, too, is her elastic sense of reality-a 90-minute immersion in her world is enough to make you question your own.

Eric D. Snider (2012-04-24 22:23)

Tabloid is nothing more than a lark, the equivalent of glancing at the goofy headlines in the checkout line and then forgetting all about them.

Alonso Duralde (2012-04-24 02:57)

While it makes for a compelling tale, the only thing that separates this from a segment on Inside Edition is Morris' whiz-bang skill as a documentarian.